Brand new player seeking Slayer build

[malkavius77]

I have been waiting to play this game for 2 years but I have potato computer. Luckily it's coming out next month for consoles and I can finally play this! I have experience in most previous rpgs like neverwinter nights/baldurs gate etc.

I have done a little research but I want to get my build ready for when it comes out. I have settled on a slayer and I need your help to build it guys.

Must be a human or aasimar for my first go doing a good run. Dual wielding is what I want to do but seems there are more options in pathfinder. Is dex based a lot better since you can do dex to damage and gives you a lot of ac and reflex saves? I always liked str based two bladed ranger in neverwinter nights but they seem few and far between here.

How about dual kukri slayer/knife fighter? I don't want to spread my multiclassing much for my first go. I want to mostly be slayer with at most 4 levels in another class. I assume rogue or the knife fighter would be best.

[nazerick]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msiKR-sKn_k I don't play slayer but this might help.

[BenSt88]

This might not influence your build in the least, but I'll just point out you will eventually get a companion who is a Rogue (Knife Fighter), and is a solid DPS'er. There are a handful at most of decent Kukris in the game, and I don't know if you want to have to choose between your main using them or this companion...that could be tough! There are some other alternative weapons either one of you could use (mostly daggers), so I suppose it could work out. Anyway, have fun w/ your build. I will likely play a Slayer at some point to try and replicate one I had in PnP.

[jsaving]

Going DEX-based cuts your damage by about 20 percent on a slayer so you should think carefully before going that route. If you want a two-weapon slayer then you would typically go strength-based, just start with a 12-14 DEX and then use items to meet the prerequisites for the TWF line. Yes this will mean you are not dual-wielding in the first part of the game but your sneak attack damage is low enough at that point that using a two-hander is fine.

What I would personally do on challenging difficulty and below is a max-strength high-charisma deliverer who goes with the menacing feat track and aims for dreadful carnage, splashing 1 level of scaled fist monk and 1 level of knifemaster along the way. Since you're willing to splash up to 4 levels you could even throw 2 paladin in there for saves and a smite, though this isn't really needed.

On hard or especially unfair I'd get a bit more creative and go deliverer12/scaledfist1/knifemaster1/archaeologist2/dragondisciple4 for added survivability.

Good luck!

[Wendrig]

as an Slayer you utilize Medium Armors, so an Stranght Build will probably better, i play with Sword and Board and have him be my Main Tank, works like an charm,

[Wendrig]

oh i forgot, i took use heavy Armor :D

[malkavius77]

Originally posted by BenSt88:

This might not influence your build in the least, but I'll just point out you will eventually get a companion who is a Rogue (Knife Fighter), and is a solid DPS'er. There are a handful at most of decent Kukris in the game, and I don't know if you want to have to choose between your main using them or this companion...that could be tough! There are some other alternative weapons either one of you could use (mostly daggers), so I suppose it could work out. Anyway, have fun w/ your build. I will likely play a Slayer at some point to try and replicate one I had in PnP.

Are you talking about nok? I won't be using him if so in a good play through.

Originally posted by jsaving:

Going DEX-based cuts your damage by about 20 percent on a slayer so you should think carefully before going that route. If you want a two-weapon slayer then you would typically go strength-based, just start with a 12-14 DEX and then use items to meet the prerequisites for the TWF line. Yes this will mean you are not dual-wielding in the first part of the game but your sneak attack damage is low enough at that point that using a two-hander is fine.

What I would personally do on challenging difficulty and below is a max-strength high-charisma deliverer who goes with the menacing feat track and aims for dreadful carnage, splashing 1 level of scaled fist monk and 1 level of knifemaster along the way. Since you're willing to splash up to 4 levels you could even throw 2 paladin in there for saves and a smite, though this isn't really needed.

On hard or especially unfair I'd get a bit more creative and go deliverer12/scaledfist1/knifemaster1/archaeologist2/dragondisciple4 for added survivability.

Good luck!

Why does dex based do less damage if dex converts to damage with finesse? I am not going to throw in all those classes as I stated in my original post.

[jsaving]

Going DEX-based is one of those things that seems like a great idea when you have a little bit of experience with the ruleset but turns out to offer less than meets the eye.

There are a couple of issues with DEX-based dual-wielding in Kingmaker. One is, you have to burn a lot of feat slots simply to become proficient at that type of fighting whereas you could be using those feats to get above-normal damage with a two-hander. But the more important reason is, Kingmaker offers more ways to boost STR than DEX, both item-wise and with spells like legendary proportions. Your fully equipped/buffed STR will typically be higher than your fully buffed/equipped DEX, which means you'll both hit more often and dish out more damage with each hit if you go strength-based.

Doesn't mean DEX-based is always "bad," especially on normal and below where sub-par damage is still more than enough to win the game. It just means you have to carefully consider whether you'd prefer a higher AC or higher DPS, and make your character creation choices accordingly.

[Immortal Reaver]

If you go Slayer you will get Ranger Combat Feats. Both Ranger and Slayer are viable Max STR and 12(or 13) DEX Two-Weapon Melee, since they can get TWF feats without DEX.
STR Slayer is probably better idea, it deals better damage from the get go, and especialy if you pick up Jubiolist that can give your slayer Shield,Mirror Image and Displacement spells, it will offset lower AC, add Heavy armor and it will be great for challenging and lower.

[Tuidjy]

Strength based builds are better for damage than Dexterity builds for a few reasons:
- more ways to pick up inherent strength. For example abyssal scion amd dragon disciple
- more ways to collect enhanced strength. For example, Legendary Proportions
- Strength boosting spells and armor usually come with better perks, ex. Onslaught
- things you can do with Strength you can't with Dexterity, like double bonus for 2h weapons
- awesome weapons for which some dexterity feats do not apply, i.e. no finesse training
- fewer feats needed. The remaining feats can be used to add damage or defense
- at some point, you have so much AC, adding more does nothing, as 20s still hit
- you never have too much Strength, unless you're one-shoting
- when you grow bigger to get Strength, your damage dice increases.

Many of the above do not apply for two weapon fighting, so you may not care... except be aware that some very satisfying tricks like dealing 600, 800 and even 1200 with a single, very likley to hit and crit strike will not be something you will doing.

Cutting the enemy 10 times in a turn is fun, but one-shoting bosses is more fun.

[BenSt88]

Yes, I was talking about Nok-Nok. I think this game is a little more forgiving of blended alignment parties than a PnP game ever would be. I'm actually playing a Paladin and use Nok-Nok a lot for DPS. He's a little psycho for sure, but he's also comic gold interacting w/ resting companions and story NPCs. But I understand if you want to be strict about alignment-based companions; the game certainly gives you enough of them to do that.